A Community-Wide Celebration: Dean College Installation Ceremony Events

The Dean College Community will officially celebrate the inaugural Chancellor of Dean College, Edward M. Augustus, Jr. and the 14th President of Dean College, Kenneth Elmore, J.D., with a series of events leading up to the historical installation ceremony on Friday, October 14, 2022, and culminating with the annual Dean College Homecoming: For Alumni and Families weekend.

Afternoon Salon: Discovering and Re-Discovering Mesopotamia

The celebration begins on Thursday, October 13 by exploring ideas through an afternoon salon on the theme of “Discovering and Re-Discovering Mesopotamia.” The salon will include three 45-minute sessions, as well as time to meet and engage with fellow community members. The sessions include:

• Fear + Less Dialogues: How do we reclaim how we gather and reinvigorate our conversations in real time and in real life? Discussion with Fearless Dialogues founder, Gregory C. Ellison II on his work in creating meaningful, shared experiences and heartfelt conversations. Dr. Ellison is an associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University.
• The Blues of Accommodation, The Blues of Resistance: A strange freedom that built movements and a nation. Reflecting on Jim Crow's Counterculture: The Blues and Black Southerners 1890-1945. Sound check and discussion with Rob Lawson, professor of history at Dean College and associate editor of the New England Journal of History.
• Building Towards the End of Racism: We start the journey to end racism now. Do we have the tools? Do we have the imagination? A discussion with Prophetic Justice author and founder of the Social Justice Institute, Keith Magee. Dr. Magee is chair and professor of social justice at Newcastle University School of History, Classics and Archaeology. He is also a senior fellow in Culture and Justice, University College London.

The afternoon salon will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Marvin Chapel in Dean Hall.

Installation Ceremony

On Friday, October 14, Dean will celebrate the inaugural Chancellor of Dean College, Edward M. Augustus, Jr., and the 14th President of Dean College, Kenneth Elmore, J.D. with a historical Installation Ceremony. The Installation will officially welcome Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore to Dean through this community-wide celebration with students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, family, and invited guests and delegates from colleges and universities, including Brown University, Boston University, John Hopkins University, Suffolk University and New England Law Boston.

The ceremony will include remarks and performances by students, faculty, staff and representatives from the Board of Trustees and the Town of Franklin, as well as featured speaker Dr. Anthony P. Monaco, president of Tufts University. Both Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore will give an address after their respective inauguration and investiture.

The Installation processional will begin at 2:45 p.m. on Awpie Way, with the ceremony to begin promptly at 3:00 p.m. in Pieri Gymnasium. After the ceremony concludes, a community celebration will be held in the Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student Center from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. An RSVP is required for both the Installation Ceremony and the community celebration. A livestream of the ceremony will be available for those unable to attend in person.

Homecoming: For Alumni and Families

In addition to the Installation Ceremony, Homecoming Weekend starts off strong on Friday with men’s soccer and women’s volleyball games, as well as a Class of 1975 Reunion in Ray House. On Saturday, the celebration continues with a full schedule of events. Favorite Homecoming traditions are back as usual, including the alumni lacrosse game, historical campus tour with Dr. Rob Lawson and the Bulldog Fun Zone, all before the football game kicks off at 12:00 p.m. against Gallaudet University at Longley Athletic Complex. After the game, the fun continues back on campus with a celebration on Awpie Way with Chancellor Augustus and President Elmore, an alumni gathering at Teddy Gallagher’s, a Dean Showcase in the Guidrey Center and trivia night in the Rooney Student Center, among others. The weekend will conclude on Sunday with field hockey and women’s soccer games at Grant Field.

We look forward to commemorating this historical event and celebrating Dean together as a community! Learn more about the Installation and Homecoming events, and RSVP for the ceremony.